Rotary transmission



Aug. 23, 1932. w. E. GOLDSBOROUGH ROTARY TRANSMI SS ION Filed Jan. 15.1929 WINDER E. GOLDSDOROUGH 33h 111:5 Hum wag Patented Aug. 23, 1932UNITED STAT-ES- WARE NonwALK, oonivno'r cur, ASSIGISTOR. 'ro IDOHEBTYRESEARCH COMPANY, on NEW- YORK, N1 Y.,'A COR-PORATION or DELA-i ROTARYTRANSMISSION I, I

Applicationfiled ammy 15,: 1929.; serial-no. 332,710.

relative motion between the spring 'supported frame andthe trackwheelsor drivers requires that the high power or torque of the. motor betransmitted to the wheels by mechanism capable of transmitting themotion of the motor to the wheelsjsubstantially without a theoreticalerror or variation of angular movement irrespective of the eccentricmovements and end play and. canting movements occurring between thedriving and driven partsdue to the action of the springs.

It has been proposedto transmit motion from an electric or other motorto the drivers or driven wheels of an electric locomotive by means of aflexible coupling involving an intermediate member coupled to thedriving;

member by one pair of links and to the driven member by a second pair oflinks. While it has been found that one of the pairs of links of saidmechanism may besupplanted by a slide reducingtheoretical error, duringthe operation of the mechanism the practicality of such substitution-hasbeen questioned for the reason that the bearing pressure per square inchof bearing surfaces'permitted in non-swiveling slide mechanisms isrelatively O quite low. It is an object of this invention to make theslide surfaces round to permit the slide structure to swivel as well asslide thereby giving the slide a .more favorable bearing surface andfurther reducing theo- 5 retical error substantially .to the vanishingpoint by means of the freedom of movement thus permitted. I It is theobject of the present invention to provide a flexible transmissionhaving an in- 5D termediate slide member mounted for rota-.

tion with the driving or driven member of a flexible :coupling andcoupled to the driven or driving memberof the flexible coupling by e a.pa-irof links, the coupling as a whole being so arranged that the slidemember may swivel as well as reciprocate, but without danger of cantingor jamming the parts in use.

Further objects and advantages of'the present invention will be apparentto those skilled in. theart from the following description.

In the accompanying drawing, I have illustrated one embodiment of tion.

view of a portion of an electric locomotive including a flexibletransmission in accordance with the present invention; Fig.2 is asection taken on the line-2..2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of thearrows. Referring tothe drawing, 10 is a rail of a the present invene Insaid drawing, Fig. lis an elevational:

railway track adapted tosupport a locomotive havmg track wheel 12, theaxleof wheel 12 appearing at 1 1. A portion o-fan electric motor isindicated at 1 6, motor 16 ,beingsuitably mounted on the springsupported frame The armature shaft of of the locomotive. motor 16 isindicated at 18. Shaft 18 carries pinion 20 and the outer end of. shaft18 is journalled'in an overhanging frame 22'which. 'f extends above andoutside of track wheel 12., The plate like gear 24 meshes with thepinion 20- and serves as the driving member. from which 'motion istransmitted to the track wheel 12 by the flexible coupling ortransmission in accordance with the present invention. Gear24 is mountedtorevolveon a stub shaft or pin 26 vjournalled in the frame 22.

A plate member 28 is fixed to the wheel 12 I by suitable bolts 30, 30 orthe like. The plate .28 is mounted to revolve with the wheel 12 and, inthe arrangement illustrated, theflex:

ible transmission or coupling is connected between gear 24 and plate 28,parts of the transmission or coupling being fixed direct to each ofmembers 24 and 28.. It will be readily understood that plate 28 may beomitted and the parts attached directly to drive wheel 12. Gear- 24E itwill be seenispreferably in the 7 nature of a plate for convenience inattaching .100

the parts of the coupling.

The parts of the transmission providing the flexibility and the relativearrangement of such parts Will now be described. *As i1- lustrated, aU-shaped piston, bar or rod 32 is i 5 fixed to the gear 24:. The mainportion of the bar-32-is spaced from the gear 24-and extends radially ofthe axis of rotation of the gear on each side of the axis. One end ofthe rod 32 is bent at right an les; and extends through 't'hefgear24,;bein'g a"1iiit 34. Tlienii't34lie's on'the'outside "of gear QL an-dacts to bind the gear b etvveen itself and a shoulder 36 formed onthebal'r 32 near one of its ends; Sl-idably andpiyotally mounted on theradial portion of bar 32 is a sleeve or slide member l6. O'nth'eside'awaiy from' thes-gear 24, thesleeve 6 is provided with; an-outstanding shoulder 48. The

shoulder -48 liesmear one end of the sleeve 46 and is hol lowed out'to-form aj ournal or bearing Within which is mounted "a cross bar 50.The bar. 50 "extends substantially 'atmight angles to theradi'aLpOrtionof th'e r O'dBQ- and is swivel-ed in-the shoulder 48. The bfi1f50however isshouldered as indicated M62, 52

I so"=thatit is prevented'ir'omtsliding in the journal With-in theshoulder 48, the shoulders 52 on the bar 5O eontacting With the ends ofthe shoulder 48. =E'or convenieneedmas'sembIi-ng theslidable structure46 is inade i n two parts Which may-be seoured to'gether by bolts 47.Similarly shoulder48'i s seciire'dflby bol-ts 4:9 to faeilit'a te"assembly of the bar 5O in tlie j ournal'formed thereby. The end's-ofbanfiO are lpre'ferably i flattened' as r in 7 "dated 58, 58. Theflattened ends 58 6f bar lie:in a 'given plane nemmll-y substantiall pmllel to t'lie side of' g er fi andabut against the flattened ends 60 ofa pair of linksoil," e2. The flattened portions'es of thebar 50 arepivoted to tlie fiat-tened portions =or eyes-titthe'iends of ri'g'htanglesto the plan'e of gear 24, ail-d o'fthe planedf re'volii tioin oftlie parts. Thef-o'tl'rer plane 'OfT the eyeS GG *is atright- V anglestoflthe members '70, 70. "The -pivots betwe n the V eaiseeendwheeyesteareindicated afiava 24 and the driven mem'bforfplate 28-tha-t ate "2 8"being seciired "thereto such motion Will be accommodated by slidingmovement of the member 461m the bar 32 or by a combined sliding actionof member 46 together with a pivoting or swiveling action of the member46 andthe other members of the coupling. ;-However, the parts -are soformed snd arranged that relatively eccentric or radial movements of thedriving and driven members and end play and canting dated not "only"s'iibstantially "Without mathematical error in'the transmission oftherot'ary inotionfb'iifalso Without any tendency to jam or permanentlycant-the parts from th-enormal position illustrated W hi le -thedrivehas ibeendescribedi-n :co'n- 'neetion with a irame overhanging-thetrack- 7 Wheels and -extend ing, ,aoutside of the traok in the art thatthe invention is also usef-uhin .ils, i-n which -conneotion i's ,particilarly adaptable ,":-it Will betovid ent tow those skilled constructionsWhere the; pinion r of .the motor lies within the traok'wh'eels and 'theflexible 4 couplingon-transmission also lies within the verticalaplanesof=thes-two"track- Tails. An example'rof suoh construotion: isshown in='copending applieation 0f :Robert G. Griswold- "andWVi'n-derE.-'*-Gol-dsborough Serial No.

atl though but a single speoifio embodiment fighiinvention''lnisbeendeseribed'ab'ove, it i Willibe'obvio'us to" those 'sliilled'in" the artthat depaitingqifrom apr'i-nciples herein set forth.

Having -t'h-us descri bed' the invention What '-is" e'la1med as new isvarious modifioatio'nsr may -be' made without c 1' 1. flexible "*transmisjsion comprising v in '1 I combination i'a rotatably mounted member ae slide l -mounted to move rtransversely ZOf the axis o fi rotationof-r' said. m'emloer akseoon'd i ro-i 3i tatably mounted membeig andlinks pivotally -oonneeted to said slideand said second-memlinks beingpivoted ito the "cross bar and the crossbar being held 'against'reciprocation tmnsveiselyof the slide.

2 inflexible transmission icomprising in g: combination a2 rotatably:"moun'ted-member, a

V axisio'f rotation of saidmember, a secondme- 'tatabl imoanted'membenend links pivotally f connected to" said7s1ide and said s'e eondmem I v ber,- swrvel s onjtlfreiseeond i rotatablymounted member,said-links *h'aving flattened den'ds 'ipivotall'y eonnected to theswivels on' the said second member, s'aid last mentioned pivots beingsubstantially "rotation. 1 p

fleXible" transmission comprising in slide mounted to'move tnans'verselyof the Y {axis v ef retetie of saidmember, ja second r0- t tatttb ymoii'fite' Mihibr, and links -pivotally "conneeted%o aid sli de and saidsecond mempar-allel to the plane; of

-" combination a rotatably monnted meniber; a

'slide 'mounted' to move transversely of :the

ber, a cross bar swiveled on the slide, said cross bar having flattenedends and said links having flattened ends pivoted to the flattened endsof said cross bar, said last mentioned pivots being substantiallyperpendicular to the plane of rotation and the cross bar being heldagainst reciprocation transversely of the slide.

4. A flexible transmissioncomprising in combination a rotatably mountedmember, a slide mounted to move transversely of the axis of rotation ofsaid member, a second rotatably mounted member, and links pivotallyconnected to said slide and said second member, a cross bar swiveled onthe slide, said links being pivoted to said cross bar on pivots whoseaxes are at right angles to the plane of rotation, swivels on the secondrotatably mounted member and pivots connecting the links to the swivelson said second member, said last mentioned pivots lying substantially inalignment and having their axes parallel to the plane of rotation.

5. A flexible transmission comprising in combination a rotatably mountedmember, a second rotatably mounted member, and connections between saidmembers including a slide, mounted to reciprocate transversely of theaxis of rotation of said first member, said slide being mounted also toswivel about its line of reciprocating motion, a cross bar journailed onsaid slide and held against motion thereon endwise of the cross bar,said cross bar being substantially parallel to the plane of rotation ofsaid second member and having flattened ends, links having flattenedends connected to the flattened ends of said cross bar by pivotsextending normally substantially perpendicular to the plane of rotationof said second member, said links lying parallel to each other and beingnormally parallel to the plane of rotation of said second mem ber and tothe line of reciprocation of said slide, said links being flattened attheir ends removed from said cross bar, swivels on said second memberhaving flattened ears, said swivels being mounted to rotate on an axissubstantially perpendicular to the plane of rotation of said secondmember, and pivots between the ears on said swivels and the lastmentioned ends of said links and extending substantially parallel to theplane of 1:0- tation of said second member.

6. A flexible transmission including a driving and a driven element, aswivel and two links connected therewith, said swivel and two linkslying normally in a plane parallel to said driving and driven elements.means whereby said swivel and two links lie in a commonplane which cutsthe planes of the driving and driven elements upon axial movement ofsaid elements from the normal position.

7. A flexible transmission including a driving and a driven element, acentral member comprising aslideaiida swivel'iat right angles to oneanother, said slide being swiveled to one ofisaid elements and saidswivel being linked to the other of said elements.

8. A flexible transmission including a driving and a driven: element, .acentral member comprising a'slide and a swivel maintained at rightangles to one another, said slide being swiveled to and sliding parallelto one of said elements, and said swivel being linked to and maintainedparallel to the otherof said elements. I v V 9; A flexibletra'nsmissionincluding a drivingand a drivenlelement, a central member comprising aslide and a swivel maintained at right anglesto'one another, said slidebeings'wiveled to and sliding-parallel to one of said elem-ents,and saidswivel being linked to and maintained parallel to the other of saidelements, although the distance between said swivel and said element towhich it is linked may be varied.

10. A flexible transmission including a 11. The/combination of a rotarydriving member, a rotary driven member, a coupling intermedlate saidmembers for transmlttmg motion from said driving member to said drivenmember including abarrigidly con-;

nected at its ends toone of said members so as to lie in a planeparallel thereto and inter:

sect the projected axis thereof, a slide mounted upon'said bar adaptedto slide longitudi-' nally thereon and to oscillate thereabout, andlinks connecting said slide-tothe other of said members by 'meansequivalent to universal joints.

12. The combination of a rotary driving member, a rotary driven member,a coupling intermediate said members for transmitting motion from saiddriving member to said driven member including a structure connected toone of said members adapted to slide thereon in a line perpendicular tothe axis thereof and to oscillate about said line and links pivoted tosaid structure and con- Eecting the sameto the other of said memers.

13. A flexible transmission comprising in combination a rotatablymounted member, a slide mounted thereon to move transversely of the axisof rotation thereofl'a cross bar swiveled on said slide, a secondrotatably mounted member and links pivotally connected to said secondrotatably mounted member and to said cross bar.

14. A flexible transmission comprising in combination a rotatablymounted member, a slide member mounted thereon to move transverselyofthe'axis of rotation thereof, a cross bar swiveled on the slide,asecond rotatably mounted ,member, links pivotally connected to saidsecond rotatably'mounted member and said cross bar and means to holdsaid'cross bar against reciprocation transversely of the. slide. g Y

6' 15. A flexible transmission comprisingein. combination a rotatablymounted member, a slide mounted thereon to move transversely of the axisof rotation of said memberya cross bar swiveled on the slide, linkshaving flattened ends pivotally connectedto the ends of said cross bar,a second rotatably mounted member, and'swivels on'said second rotatablymounted member connected to said links. 7

16. A flexible transmission comprising in bombination a rotatablymounted. member, a member slidably connected thereto, a cross barswiveled on said member, a second rotatably mounted member and linkspivotally connected to saidsecond rotatably mounted member and to saidcross bar.

17. A flexible transmission vcomprising in combination a rotatablymounted member, a slide mounted thereon to move transversely of the axisof rotation thereof and to swivel about its own line motioma cross barswiveled on said slide, a second rotatably mount ed member andlinks'pivotally connected to said second rotatably mounted member and vto said cross bar.

3 18. In in a flexible transmission a driving element, a driven element,connecting means therebetween including a member mountedi to slidetransversely of the axis of rotation of one of said elements and toswivel about I 40- its slide, and parallel links pivoted thereto andconnecting the other of said members to said slidable member.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WINDER GOLDSBOROUGH;

